Bowel diseases and abnormal conditions, including particularly cancer of the lower bowel, have led to surgical operations commonly referred to as ileostomies or cholostomies in which a portion of the bowel is removed and the end of the remaining bowel is brought out through the patient's abdomen. The lower bowel may terminate at the surface of the abdominal skin, or, more commonly, may protrude slightly from the outer skin surface, the bowel passing through the abdominal fascia, muscle, fat and skin layers. The end portion of the bowel, extending to or through the skin, is referred to as the stoma. Patients who have had such surgical operations commonly are provided with externally worn containers such as plastic bags, the bags having an opening that is adhesively sealed to the skin about the stoma. A short tube may be anchored at one end within the stoma, with its outer end extending outwardly for attachment to a receptacle, and tubes of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,828,782 and 4,119,100. The bowel is thus continually open to the flow of its contents through the stoma and into the bag. Such bags must be periodically removed and emptied, of course, and the adhesive seal of the mouth of the bag to the skin surrounding the stoma must be maintained airtight to prevent the escape of odors and consequent embarrassment to the wearer. If disposable bags are used, means must be found for properly disposing of the bag with their contents. Further, the skin area surrounding the stoma must be maintained very clean, and irritations due to the adhesive seal between the skin and mouth of the bag must be avoided.
Depending largely upon the diet of the patient, the bowel contents issuing from the stoma is characterized by a soupy, watery consistency, and the bowel contents may include particles of undigested or partially digested food, all of which must be permitted to escape from the stoma. Thus, it is desirable that the stoma be kept as free as possible of devices interferring with the flow of the bowel contents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,533 shows a device that is inserted within the stoma and is retained therein to permit the wearer some control over bowel functions for the purpose of eliminating the necessity of an externally worn bag or other receptacle. Other devices have been employed to provide urinary continence, such devices including interior valves which can be opened or closed. Typical of such devices are those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,642,004, 3,758,073 and 3,812,841. With ileostomy devices, of course, interior valves or other obstructions interferring with the flow of bowel contents should be avoided.